Sal Mineo, at age 17, was one of the youngest actors nominated for an Oscar. He was fatally stabbed at age 37.

On this day, Feb. 12, in 1976, actor Sal Mineo, who starred opposite James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant,” was stabbed to death in Hollywood. Mineo was 37.

A teen idol in the 1950s, Mineo was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in 1955 for”Rebel Without a Cause” and in 1960 for “Exodus.”

Mineo was trying to make a comeback the night he was killed. Mineo was stabbed to death after returning home from a play rehearsal and parking his Chevette in the carport of a West Hollywood apartment building.

For two years, police investigated the slaying with little success, focusing on Mineos homosexual connections. Then, prison guards in Michigan heard that a pizza delivery man, Lionel Williams, had bragged about killing the actor.

William’s wife told police that Williams had come home the night of Mineo’s murder covered in blood.